Loose-leaf book and support.



No. 667,865. Patented Feb. l2, |9ol.

A.` P. snow",

LDSELEAF BOOK AND SUPPORT.

(Application led June 14, 1900.)

(No Modal.)

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ALFRED P. BROWN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOOSEn-LEAF BOOK AND SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,865, dated February12, 1901.

Application filed June 14, 1900. Serial No. 20,228. (No modell.'

To @ZZ whom, it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED l?. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Loose-Leaf Books andSupports Therefor, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to an improvement in loose -leaf books and supportstherefor in which one object is to loosely bind a great number of leavestogether and to mount the book in such a manner that any particular leafcan be reached for observation with great facility.

A further object is to provide a book of this character in whichadditional leaves may be inserted into position in the book at one ormore points in a very convenient manner to make up for the leaves whichhave been removed therefrom, and when the additional leaves have been soinserted my object is to provide means for preventing theirunintentional removal.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view in end elevation ofa casing having my improved loose leaf book mounted therein, a portionof the casing being broken away to show the interior structure thereof.Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the device with thecasingcover removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse hori- Zontal section in theplane of the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. i is an enlarged detail top planview of the meeting ends of the binder-belt, showing the manner ofsecuring the ends together and also showing the means for preventing theunintentional removal of the leaves between the meeting ends of thelocking-ribs on the belt. Fig. 5 is a side view of the same with theleaves shown in position on the belt. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing infront elevation one of the leaf-retaining clips. Fig. 7 is a view of therear portion of one of the sheets. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectionthrough the bindenbelt, and Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse sectionshowing a modified form in which the binder-belt is fitted to theperiphery of a single drum.

rlhe binder-belt is denoted by A, and it is provided on its exteriorface with one or more longitudinal ribs a. In the presentinstance threeset-s of such ribs are shown, which ribs are of inverted-wedge shapeincross-section. These locking-ribs d may be made in many dilferent formsand of any suitable material.

The meeting ends of the binder-belt A may be removably secured inengagement with each other by providing the said ends with overlappingeye-plates a a2, through the eyes of which may be passed a locking-pina3, the said pin being preferably split and provided at its bifurcatedends with shoulders a4 d5 for retaining the pin in position unless thepin is intentionally removed by bringing the said shouldered endstogether.

The leaves are denoted by B, and they are provided along their inneredges with one or more wedge-shaped or dovetailed notches l). In thepresent instance I have shown these leaves as being provided with threerows of coinciding notches b, which are adapted to be engaged by theribs ct on the binder-belt when the leaves are placed in positionthereon. These leaves may be inserted into position upon the belt eitherby removing the pin a3 and straightening the belt, thus permitting theleaves to be slid along from the ends of the belt in both directions, ifso desired, or the pin need not be removed, but the ends of the belt maybe swung around into a position that will permit the leaves to be slidover the ends of the shoulders.

If desired to insert a few leaves when the belt is in position in thecasing, to be hereinafter described, without removing the belt, theleaves may be slid on, for the reason that the ends of the ribs on thebelt do not quite meet when the belt isin this position.

The means which I employ for preventing the leaves from sliding oif theends of the belt when the belt is in use comprise a spring-actuatedlocking clip C, which consists of two short plates c c', hinged togetherat a point intermediate their ends, the inner ends of the two platesbeing provided with notches c2, arranged to receive the two adjacentends of one of the ribs a of the plate and slide a short distanceinwardly along the same. This spring-actuated clip is normally held inits position tending to press the leaves inwardly away from the meetingends of the IOO .belt by means of a spring c4, which in the presentinstance is shown as being coiled around the hinge-pintle c5 of theclip. ,If desired, these clips may extend the full width of the belt andbe provided with notches c2, arranged in position to engage all of theribs on the belt. When it is desired to remove these clips for thepurpose of permitting the insertion of additional sheets, the upper armsof the clips may be brought together, thus bringing the lower arms ofthe same into proximity and drawing them off from the adjacent ends ofthe rib.

Instead of a single longitudinal rib extending from end to end of thebelt I may provide a plurality of ribs in alinement with each other,with their ends spaced a shortdistance apart, so that leaves may beinserted into the book at more than one place on the belt. When aplurality of ribs in alinement is used, the adjacent ends of the ribsmay be engaged by the clips C for preventing the unintentional removalof the leaves from the ribs.

Proceeding to describe the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the casingor box for containing and forming a support for a looseleaf book isdenoted as a Whole by D. A roller`E is mounted to rotate in bearingsformed in side brackets F, which are secured to the sides d d' of thecasing near its top. A second roller G is mounted in sliding bearings inside brackets H, which are secured' to the sides d d of the casing atpoints considerably below the brackets F. The bearings for the roller Grmay be forced downwardly away from the roller E by means ofadjusting-screws h, which are carried by the side brackets H. Theendless binder-belt A passes around the two rollers E and G, and thecasing is of sufficient size to permit the belt, together with theleaves attached thereto, to pass freely around the two rollers. Thelocation ofthe upper roller E is such that the leaves when passingaround the same project upwardly through the top of the casing.

I provide a removable cover I, of semicylindrical form, for protectingthe leaves at the upper end of the book when they are not in use. Whenthe leaves are pressed down for the purpose of writing thereon, two topleaves will assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 about ona level with the top of the casing.

The shaft e of the roller E is extended instance I have shown this frontd2 as a door hinged at d3 to one of the sides d, for instance, andhaving a suitable knob or handle d4 for use in opening the door-front.

In the form shown in Fig. 9 the casing is denoted by D', and mountedtherein is a large drum E', to the periphery of which is fitted theendless binder-belt A. The upper portion of the book in this form alsoprojects above the top of the casing and may be provided with aremovable cover I.

When it is desired to use the book, the cover I is removed and thehandle J is turned until the leaf which it is desired to examine or useis brought toA the top of the casing. The leaves may then be parted andpressed down into position to expose the adjacentpages of two successiveleaves at this point. If it is desired to examine a page upon a leaf aconsiderable distance from the page just examined, the crank .I mayagain be turned, thus bringing the leaf with the desired page rapidlywhere it can be examined.

The engagement of the leaves with the locking-ribs is such that theleaves may be removed by a considerable pull outwardly away from thebinder-belt.

When the loose-leaf book is used as a ledger, where the pages are usedfor temporary entry only and are removed quite frequently, a new supplyof leaves may be inserted onto the belt at any time in the mannerhereinbefore set forth, thus keeping the book at all times provided withsubstantially a predetermined number of leaves.

It is evident that changes might be resorted to in the form andarrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly tothe structure herein set forth; but

What I claim isl l. A loose-leaf book comprising an endless belt havinga longitudinal locking-rib thereon and a plurality of leaves havingtheir inner edges engaged by the said rib for removably locking theleaves to the belt, substantially as set forth.

2. A loose-leaf book comprising an endless belt having a longitudinallocking-rib there- IOO IIO

on of inverted-wedge shape in cross-section and a plurality of leaveshaving corresponding wedge-shaped notches in theirinner edges arrangedto engage the said rib for removably locking the leaves to the belt,substantially as set forth.

3. A loose-leaf book comprising a belthaving a longitudinal locking-ribthereon, a plurality of leaves engaged by the said rib for removablylocking the leaves to the belt and means for removably uniting the endsof the belt to form an endless belt, substantially as set forth.

4. A loose-leaf book comprising an endless belt having a longitudinallocking-rib thereon, the ends of the locking-rib being brought intoclose proximity to each other, a plurality of leaves arranged to slidealong in engagement With the rib for removably locking the leaves to thebelt and a device engaging the adjacent ends of the rib for preventingthe unintentional removal of the leaves therefrom, substantially as setforth.

A loose-leaf book comprising an endless belt having a longitudinallocking-rib thereon, the ends of the locking-rib being brought intoclose proximity to each other, a plurality of leaves arranged to slidealong in engage ment with the rib for removably locking the leaves tothe belt, and a removable clip engaging the adjacent ends ofthe rib forpreventing the unintentiona-l removal of the leaves therefrom,substantially as set forth.

6. A loose-leaf book comprising an endless

